Marcel Matta and Mauro Sarser’s Ghosting Gloria (Muerto con Gloria) offers a different take on modern dating, presenting a supernatural slant to explore the minefield that is present day coupling up. Our titular Gloria (Stefanía Tortorella) is a single thirty-something book store worker. Her singledom is constantly ridiculed by her serial dating co-worker and friend, Sandra (Nenan Pelenur). All that changes however, after Gloria moves into a new apartment, one whose previous occupant is recently deceased. Soon after arriving, a ghost makes moves on Gloria and she quickly finds herself having the best sex of her life, but can dating really transcend the void between life and death?
If the plot sounds a little strange, that is just the tip of the iceberg. Matta and Sarser have crafted a film that is genre-fluid, encapsulating elements of comedy, drama, thriller, horror, and of course romance, to create a film that isn’t easily forgotten. Ghosting Gloria takes the viewer on a weirdly wonderful journey whilst evoking films including Amélie, Beetlejuice, The Shape of Water, and The Entity. The most dominant sensation that takes over when watching is that of whimsy, which impregnates the piece with an otherworldly old-Hollywood fairy-tale sheen. All these elements make for uneven bedfellows on paper, but Matta and Sarser manage to keep the balance steady.
As jovial as Ghosting Gloria appears to be, the film does pose some moral quandaries. Gloria and Dante’s first encounter, where he just begins his sexual advances on the sleeping woman, is obviously not okay. The fact that Gloria goes along with what is happening doesn’t avoid the fact that there was no initial consent. It’s a tricky situation, and although the film brushes immediately past it, it’s a scenario that will not sit right with some viewers. Pushing past this encounter may prove to be difficult, but Ghosting Gloria isn’t purely about a woman having sex with a ghost. After their initial few rendezvous together, Gloria begins to see Dante as the perfect man. He listens, gives her space, and doesn’t leave the toilet seat up. Unfortunately for her, their relationship isn’t built to last and Gloria finds herself ghosted by a ghost.
After this sudden separation, the tone of the piece changes, a darker force pervades the screen and confronts the viewer with the stark, cruel feelings involved with a break-up. It is around here that the film begins to drag. What has come before is so buoyant (with the one exception), flashing by in the blink of an eye; the sudden change in pace drives the story to an almost standstill. This does offer an accurate representation of how life feels as if it’s stopping when a relationship ends, but doesn’t work in quite the way that it should. This moment is followed by a lot more story, the film almost resetting itself and starting anew. Although it perfectly reflects real-life in this way, within the parameters of a film such as this, it just puts a strain on the viewer’s commitment to see the film through to its conclusion.
Stefanía Tortorella gives a great lead performance, carrying massive chunks of the film all on her own. As Gloria she is likeable and accessible, a hard-worker, and most importantly not the usual Bridget Jones spinster type. Gloria enjoys her singledom and one reason why her relationship with Dante is so successful in her eyes is because she doesn’t have to forgo her independence. It’s a much better representation of a single woman on screen and one can only hope that more of these types of characters continue to be written.
Surreal yearnings pave the way for human connection in this complex yet strangely ambiguous film. A romantic comedy fused with dramatic thriller, Ghosting Gloria has plenty of new ideas within its storytelling as well as containing an astute commentary on the modern climate of the dating scene.
Ghosting Gloria
Summary
It’s a case of ‘How Gloria got Her Groove Back’ in this inviting and tantalising cautionary tale of modern romance.
Ghosting Gloria was reviewed at Fantasia 2021.
